Severe Head Teacher Crisis Hits Cumilla and Muradnagar Primary Schools
894 Government Primary Schools in Cumilla Without Head Teachers; 94 Vacancies in Muradnagar Alone Disrupt Education
Government primary schools across Cumilla district are facing a severe shortage of head teachers and assistant teachers, raising concerns over the quality of education and school administration.
According to the District Primary Education Office, 894 of the district’s 2,107 government primary schools are operating without permanent head teachers. In addition, 970 assistant teacher positions remain vacant, putting extra pressure on the existing teaching staff.
The office data shows that out of 2,107 approved head teacher posts, only 1,213 are currently filled, leaving 894 positions vacant. Similarly, 12,419 teachers are serving against 13,389 approved assistant teacher posts, resulting in 970 vacancies.
The situation is particularly alarming in Muradnagar Upazila, where 94 head teacher posts and 93 assistant teacher posts are vacant. Other affected upazilas include Debidwar with 93 head teacher and 124 assistant teacher vacancies, Nangalkot with 95 head teacher and 77 assistant teacher vacancies, and Daudkandi with 60 head teacher and 92 assistant teacher vacancies.
The crisis is evident at Uttar Rasulpur Government Primary School in Cumilla Sadar, established in 1912. The century-old institution has been functioning without a permanent head teacher for the past ten years. During this period, five assistant teachers have successively served as acting head teachers. The school currently has 225 students and six teachers.
Acting Head Teacher Mohammad Manjurul Alam said that managing administrative, financial, and official responsibilities alongside regular classroom teaching has become increasingly difficult. He noted that balancing both roles reduces the time and attention devoted to teaching, ultimately affecting students’ learning outcomes.
Similar conditions exist in 893 other government primary schools across the district. In many cases, assistant teachers are performing the duties of head teachers, while some schools also suffer from assistant teacher shortages. As a result, lesson planning, student monitoring, implementation of government directives, financial management, reporting, and overall school administration are being hampered.
Education enthusiast Abul Kalam Azad stressed that running schools with acting head teachers for years cannot be considered a sustainable solution. He urged the authorities to appoint permanent head teachers without delay to improve the quality of primary education.
Md. Rashed Mia, General Secretary of the Cumilla Government Primary School Assistant Teachers’ Association, said that the absence of head teachers places an additional administrative burden on assistant teachers, affecting classroom instruction. He also called for the appointment of head clerks in every primary school to support administrative work.
Kawsar Alam Sohel, President of the Lal-Shobuj Unnayan Sangha, observed that teacher shortages are affecting schools in many parts of the country, leaving classrooms unattended and negatively impacting students’ learning.
Responding to the issue, Cumilla District Primary Education Officer Monsur Ali Chowdhury said the shortage of head teachers is a nationwide problem, not limited to Cumilla. Since 2019, senior assistant teachers have been assigned as acting head teachers, and he believes educational activities have continued without major disruption.
However, Professor Dr. Md. Shahadat Hossain, Chairman of the Department of Chemistry at Cumilla University, warned that primary education forms the foundation of a student’s academic life. Prolonged vacancies in head teacher positions increase pressure on assistant teachers and negatively affect classroom teaching, with long-term consequences extending to secondary, higher secondary, and even university education.
